Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) is one of the nation’s premier research and teaching facilities, and joins with other Middle Tennessee hospitals to produce over 430,000 jobs worldwide and make health care Nashville's number one industry.

The health-care industry provides the Nashville economy with approximately $30 billion and 200,000 jobs annually.

Nashville has been called the Silicon Valley of health care, and for good reason. The industry is the city's fastest-growing and largest employer. The health-care industry provides the Nashville economy with approximately $30 billion and 200,000 jobs annually.

The effects of Nashville as a health care mecca extend far beyond Music City, the borders of Tennessee or even the United States. Globally, Nashville's health care companies contribute more than $70 billion in revenue to the world economy and more than 400,000 jobs annually. Meanwhile, the Nashville Health Care Council, an association of health care industry leaders founded in 1995 by the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, works hard to ensure continued growth in the sector to further establish the region as the nation's health care industry capital.

The benefit of such a strong health-care sector is twofold for residents of Middle Tennessee: Not only do these companies strengthen the local economy but they ensure greater choice, convenience and access to the most advanced health care services available anywhere, provided by scores of hospitals, medical centers, specialized clinics and practices.

Besides being among the top-performing facilities in the Thomson Reuters 100 Top Hospitals Report for 2011, VUMC also earned recognition from Healthcare IT News for being among the "most wired" hospital systems in the country.

With more than 800 beds, VUMC serves patients from all over the mid-South region and employs more than 14,000 full-time staff members.

Hospital Corporation of America & TriStar Health SystemAnother huge name in health care is Nashville-based Hospital Corporation of America (HCA), which in 2011 became a publicly traded company for the third time since its 1968 founding. Meanwhile, LifePoint Hospitals, an HCA spinoff, recently formed a joint venture with Duke University Health System to assemble a network of hospitals throughout North Carolina.

In addition to HCA, Vanguard Health Systems also recently went public. The Nashville-based company owns and operates 26 hospitals in five states, as well as two surgery centers and three health insurance plans.

Saint Thomas Hospital‚ operated by the Daughters of Charity and founded in 1898‚ is nationally recognized for its outstanding cardiac and cancer units. It has been recognized many times as a Top 100 Hospital by Thomson Reuters Healthcare, and has received HealthGrades awards for patient experience, patient safety and clinical excellence.

Baptist Hospital is Nashville’s largest not-for-profit medical center. Founded in 1919‚ the hospital’s main campus covers nearly 2 million square feet and spans more than six city blocks. Baptist Hospital has achieved multiple HealthGrades five-star ratings in cardiac care, orthopedics, pulmonary care and gastrointestinal surgery. The hospital also is well known for its Women’s Pavilion‚ where approximately 7‚000 babies are delivered each year – more than any other hospital in Middle Tennessee.

Health-Care Industry Keeps BoomingThe health-care industry in Nashville continues to chart growth in terms of expansions, relocations and ultimately new jobs for the region. A few highlights from recent announcements include: Healthcare management Systems, which develops, sells and supports integrated clinical and financial hospital information systems and services, expaneded, adding 81 jobs; APS Healthcare, relocating to Franklin, expects to create 75 positions; Emdeon, a leading provider of revenue and payment cycle management and clinical information exchange solutions, recently added 40 jobs; and HealthSpring Inc. plans for as many as 300 positions at its new $53 million headquarters of the next two years.